SealPlex® Coatings

Surface Sealing and Densification

Corrosion resistance, Surface sealing, Abrasive surface

The SealPlex® ranges of coatings are used to surface seal and
fill the porosity in other materials. Surface treatments such as
nitro-carburising and tuftriding create a porous outer layer. This
layer has excellent liquid retention properties and when
subjected to the SealPlex® densification process, a singlephase
ceramic layer is chemically bonded into and over the
porous outer layer.
The SealPlex® coating produced in this way is <5µm thick with
a hardness up to 2,900 VPN. In addition to the significant
increase in surface hardness, corrosion resistance and
frictional properties are improved.
The same techniques can be used to seal the surface of other
porous materials such as solid ceramics and sintered metals. If
the impregnation is vacuum assisted, full penetration of the
porous structure can be achieved and filled to produce a harder
and stronger component.

Duplex coating

Flame sprayed coatings and electroplated hard chrome can
also benefit from the SealPlex® densification process. These
coatings are by nature micro-cracked and porous and therefore
susceptible to interface corrosion problems. The penetration
performance of the SealPlex® is so efficient that the microcracks
in hard chrome can be filled to improve both wear and
corrosion performance.

SealPlex® has a unique effect on other
coatings and treatments. It can be used to
seal hard chrome plate, plasma, HVOF (High
Velocity Oxy-Fuel) and Thermal Spray
coatings. The resultant duplex coating
exhibits increased ductility and increased
fracture toughness brought on by a change in
failure mechanism from inter granular (around
grain boundaries) cracking to trans granular
(through grains) cracking. The activation
energy associated with this change in failure
mechanism and consequently the coatings
toughness is greatly increased.